Mordecai Persuades Esther to Help

4 Mordecai heard
about all that had been
done. When he heard about the king’s
commands against the Jews, he tore his
clothes. Then he put on clothes of sadness and
put ashes on his head. Then he went out into
the city crying loudly.
2But
Mordecai went
only as far as the king’s gate. No one was
allowed to enter that gate dressed in clothes of
sadness. 3In
every province where the king’s
command had come, there was much crying
and sadness among the Jews. They were
fasting* and crying loudly. Many Jews were
lying on the ground dressed in clothes of
sadness with ashes on their heads.
4Esther’s women
servants and eunuchs* came to her and told her about Mordecai. That
made Queen Esther very sad and upset. She
sent clothes for Mordecai to put on instead of
the clothes of sadness. But he would not accept
those clothes. 5Then
Esther called Hathach.
Hathach was one of the king’s eunuchs that
had been chosen to serve her. Esther
commanded him to find out what was
bothering Mordecai, and why.
6So
Hathach
went out to where Mordecai was in the open
place of the city in front of the king’s gate.
7Then Mordecai told
Hathach everything that
had happened to him. Mordecai told him about
the exact amount of money Haman had
promised to put into the king’s treasury for
killing Jews. 8Mordecai
also gave Hathach a
copy of the king’s command to kill the Jews.
That command had been sent out all over the
city of Susa. He wanted Hathach to show it to
Esther and tell her everything. And he told him
to encourage Esther to go to the king and beg
him for mercy for Mordecai and her people.
9Hathach went back
and told Esther
everything Mordecai had said.
10Then Esther told
Hathach to say this to
Mordecai: 11“Mordecai,
all the king’s leaders
and all the people of the king’s provinces
know this: The king has one law for any man
or woman that goes to the king without being
called. He must be put to death. The only way
this law is not carried out is if the king puts
out his gold scepter* to the person. If the king
does that, then that person’s life will be saved.
And I have not been called to go see the king
for 30 days.”
12–13Then Esther’s
message was given to
Mordecai. When Mordecai got her message,
he sent his answer back: “Esther, don’t think
that just because you live in the king’s house
you will be the only Jew to escape.
14If
you
keep quiet now, help and freedom for the
Jews will come from another place. But you
and your father’s family will all die. And who
knows, maybe you have been chosen to be the
queen for such a time as this?”
15–16Then Esther
sent this answer to
Mordecai: “Mordecai, go and get all the Jews
in Susa together, and fast* for me. Don’t eat or
drink for three days and nights. I will fast like
you, and my girl servants will fast, too. After
we fast, I will go to the king. I know it is
against the law to go to the king if he didn’t
call me, but I will do it anyway. If I die, I die.”
17So Mordecai went
away. He did
everything Esther told him to do.

fast(ing) To live without food for a special time of prayer
and
worship to God.
eunuchs Men whose testicles have been removed. Rulers often
gave such men important positions.
scepter A special stick that a king holds in his hand.

Esther Speaks to the King

5 On the third day,
Esther put on her special
robes. Then she stood in the inside area of
the king’s palace.* That area was in front of
the king’s hall. The king was sitting on his
throne* in the hall. He was sitting facing the
place where people enter the throne room.
2Then the king saw
Queen Esther standing in
the court. When he saw her, he was very
pleased. He held out to her the gold scepter* that was in his hand. So Esther went in to the
room and went near the king. Then she
touched the end of the king’s gold scepter.
3Then the king
asked, “What is bothering
you Queen Esther? What do you want to ask
me? I will give you anything you ask for,
even half my kingdom.”
4Esther said, “I
have prepared a party for
you and Haman. Will you and Haman please
come to the party today?”
5Then the king
said, “Bring Haman quickly
so that we may do what Esther asks.”
So the king and Haman went to the party
Esther had prepared for them.
6While
they
were drinking wine, the king asked Esther
again, “Now Esther, what do you want to ask
for? Ask for anything, I will give it to you.
So, what is it you want? I will give you
anything you want, up to half my kingdom.”
7Esther answered,
“This is what I want to
ask for: 8If
the king approves of me, and if it
pleases the king to give me what I ask for, let
the king and Haman come tomorrow. I will
prepare another party for the king and Haman
tomorrow. Then I will tell what I really want.”

Haman’s Anger at Mordecai

9Haman left the
king’s house that day very
happy and in a good mood. But when he saw
Mordecai at the king’s gate, he became very
angry at Mordecai. Haman was very mad at
Mordecai because Mordecai didn’t show any
respect when Haman walked by. Mordecai
was not afraid of Haman, and that made
Haman mad. 10But,
Haman controlled his
anger and went home. Then Haman called his
friends and his wife, Zeresh, together.
11Haman started
bragging about how rich he
was. He was bragging to his friends about his
many sons, and about all the ways the king
had honored him. And he was bragging about
how the king had promoted him higher than
all the other leaders.
12“And
that’s not all,”
Haman added. “I’m the only person Queen
Esther invited to be with the king at the party
she gave. And the Queen has also invited me
to be with the king again tomorrow.
13But
all
those things don’t really make me happy. I’m
not really happy as long as I see that Jew
Mordecai sitting at the king’s gate.”
14Then Haman’s wife
Zeresh and all his
friends had a suggestion. They said, “Tell
someone to build a post to hang him on! Make
it 75 feet* tall! Then in the morning, ask the
king to hang Mordecai on it. Then just go to
the party with the king and you can be happy.”
Haman liked that suggestion, so he ordered
someone to build the hanging post.

palace A large house for the king and his family.
throne The chair of a king or queen. scepter A special stick that a king
holds in his hand.
75 feet Literally, “50 cubits.”

Mordecai Is Honored

6 That same night,
the king could not sleep.
So he told a servant to bring the history
book and read it to him. (The Book of History
of the Kings lists everything that happens
during a king’s rule.)
2The
servant read the
book to the king. He read about the evil plan
to kill King Xerxes. That was when Mordecai
had learned about Bigthana and Teresh. Those
two men were the king’s officers that guarded
the doorway. They had planned to kill the
king, but Mordecai learned about the plan and
told someone about it.
3Then the king
asked, “What honor and good
things have been given to Mordecai for this?”
The servants answered the king, “Nothing
has been done for Mordecai.”
4Haman had just
entered the outer area of
the king’s palace.* He had come to ask the
king to hang Mordecai on the hanging post
Haman had commanded to be built. {The
king
heard him.} The king said, “Who just came
into the courtyard?”
5The
king’s servants said,
“Haman is standing in the courtyard.”
So the king said, “Bring him in.”
6When Haman came
in, the king asked him
a question. He said, “Haman, what should be
done for a man the king wants to honor?”
Haman thought to himself, “Who is there
that the king would want to honor more than
me? The king is talking about honoring me,
I’m sure.”
7So Haman answered
the king, “Do this for
the man the king loves to honor:
8Have
the
servants bring a special robe the king himself
has worn. And also bring a horse the king
himself has ridden. Have the servants put the
king’s special mark on that horse’s head.
9Then put one of
the king’s most important
leaders in charge of the robe and the horse.
And let that leader put the robe on the man the
king wants to honor. And then let him lead
him on the horse through the city streets. As
he leads him, let him announce, ‘This is done
for the man the king wants to honor!’”
10“Go quickly,” the
king commanded
Haman. “Get the robe and the horse and do
just as you have suggested for Mordecai the
Jew. Mordecai is sitting near the king’s gate.
Do everything that you suggested.”
11So Haman got the
robe and the horse.
Then he put the robe on Mordecai and led him
on horseback through the city streets. Haman
announced ahead of Mordecai, “This is done
for the man the king wants to honor!”
12After that,
Mordecai went back to the
king’s gate. But Haman hurried home. He
covered his head because he was embarrassed
and ashamed. 13Then
Haman told his wife
Zeresh and all his friends everything that had
happened to him. Haman’s wife and the men
that gave him advice said, “If Mordecai is a
Jew, then you can’t win. You have already
started to fall. Surely you will be ruined!”
14While those
people were still talking to
Haman, the king’s eunuchs* came to
Haman’s house. They made Haman hurry to
the party that Esther had prepared.

palace A large house
for the king and his family.
eunuchs Men whose testicles have been removed. Rulers often
gave such men important positions.